Supernatural Interview: Kevin McNally

The following Interview was carried out by Lucy (@SpnUK) for the Supernatural Wiki on 25th July 2013.

Kevin McNally

“Those poor boys need all the help they can get. Even from a paranoid delusional like Frank”

– , Kevin McNally – (Frank Devereaux) on working with the Winchester brothers.

UK Conventions / Fans

Kevin McNally on stage at Asylum 10 (image property of Kelly Fiestas)

Lucy: You have recently attended a Supernatural Conventions in the UK. How did you find the response to you and your character from UK SPNFamily? Some guests said that UK SPNFamily are louder than fans at any other conventions, would you agree with this?

Kevin: The Spn family are certainly the loudest and most loyal I have come across on the circuit. There’s never a dull moment at an SPN convention.Lucy: Do British fans react differently to you than USA or other fans? Do you have any funny stories about meeting UK fans, either Supernatural fans or others?

Kevin: I’ve always found US fans to be very respectful and often quite reserved. Not so in the UK. They are fulsome in their enthusiasm for the show and don’t mind letting you know it. Which is nice.Lucy: What do you think of the way the SPNFamily have received you? Also the fan base’s treatment of guest actors in general?

Kevin: I have been amazed to find out how accepted I was as a comparatively brief newcomer to the show. I have been made to feel very welcome. I think that’s true for most guests.

Lucy: Do you think an established movie actor like yourself benefits in anyway by being in a TV series, especially if it’s limited by genre?

Kevin: I don’t see the genre as limiting. I love being involved in SPN as much as Pirates, Downton and my old connections to Dr Who and the Bond franchise. The great thing about all these shows is that they are popular and watched by many. What more could an actor ask for.

Working/Living abroad

Lucy: What’s it like being a British actor working in USA/Canada? Did the cast/crew make any stereotypical British judgments of you? For example that you only drink Tea or that you are best friends with the Royal family?

Kevin: If they did they were soon dissuaded. I don’t drink tea and am lukewarm about royalty

Kevin McNally as Joshamee Gibbs in Pirates of the Caribbean (source – IMDb)

Lucy: What about any prejudice for being British while filming abroad?

Kevin: If there is I instantly become Irish.Lucy: How does it differ working in a USA based series, as opposed to a UK one?

Kevin: I enjoy my work in the US and Canada. This is where some of the best TV is being made and when I do TV I want it to be the best.Lucy: How did you manage to adjust to living/working in the USA/Canada?

Kevin: It can be tough being away from my family. But they visit when they can and I go home when possible but on the other hand I am a travel Junkie and I like nothing better than being offered a new role in a new city in a new country.Lucy: Did it take you long to learn the US slang (Trunk, Diaper, Pants etc….) Do you still get caught out by it at all?

Kevin: I am pretty good at the different vocabulary but I can get caught out with stress and pronunciation some times. I had a bit of a problem as Frank with ‘Teleporter’, I tended to say Tellyporter! The director asked me if it was a ‘Frank thing, I said no it was a ‘Brit’ thing.Lucy: Do you have any British food or drink that you miss when working abroad? Or do you get it shipped out to you?

Kevin: I’m ok in LA because I can go the a shop in Santa Monica and get my HP sauce. I have not found a way to source Bovril yet!Lucy: Where is your favourite place in the UK?

Kevin: My home in West London.Lucy: Is there a big difference between US and UK humour? Do you find the British more sarcastic/cynical in our comedy than Americans/Canadians?

Kevin: What North American humour? You see, sarcastic. Actually my son and I drove across America last year and we found a station of Canadian comics who we listened too all the time. Our favourites are Jeremy Hotz and Norm Macdonald.

Supernatural Cast

Lucy: Can any of the supernatural cast imitate a convincing British accent? If yes who?

Kevin: They are all perfect. (What else could I say?)

Playing Frank

Kevin McNally as Frank Devereaux.

Lucy: Would you like to work back on Supernatural if they bring Frank back into it in Season 9.

Kevin: I would look upon such a request very favourably.Lucy: What do you think became of Frank Devereaux?

Kevin: It is my firm belief he is alive and well living in Tromsø.Lucy: If he was still alive and not in hiding, do you think he would have been the Winchester’s go-to person for help, depending on if the case needed it

Kevin: Of course. Those poor boys need all the help they can get. Even from a paranoid delusional like Frank.

Acknowledgements

A huge thank you to Kevin McNally for taking the time to answer these questions, by the fans and for the fans.

Thanks to all the fans that submitted questions for the Interview via the Supernatural in the UK Facebook Page